Two weeks ago, at our monthly combined pastoral council meeting, I asked our pastoral council members whether we are ready to set a date for the official merging of our parishes. The previous month I gave council members a worksheet to help them begin to consider setting a date for the merging. Overall, the feedback on the worksheet favored setting a date. Therefore, it is likely that over the next months, a recommendation from pastoral councils will be offered.
Having worked on Beacons of Light for nearly three of the five years of the strategic plan I’ve heard several Crescent pastoral council members declare sentiments such as “Let’s accomplish this merger…sooner rather than later, since we have accomplished so much already.” Indeed, we have accomplished so much already.
What have we accomplished already? Some of our inspiring and significant unifying Crescent Parishes accomplishments include
a parish staff that is fully unified and striving heroically to work together in every way.
pastoral councils and Worship Commissions that are both unified and distinct at the same time, a truly “both…and” Catholic approach.
finances, although separate, are ready to become one, due to the unified and highly coordinated efforts of Matt Jackson, our Director of Administration, and bookkeepers at all of our parishes.
a unified bulletin, website, and comprehensively unified communications network.
unified processes and procedures for almost everything in parish life.
What do we need to be reminded of regarding the merging of our parishes? The following are important reminders regarding merging.
Merging our parishes—in other words, becoming one parish—does not mean any of our parish churches will close. The plan is that all our churches will remain open with their original name, likely even with our current Mass schedule.
We will have one pastoral council with equal representation from all five of the previous parishes.
All of our parishes’ finances will be united under one finance committee composed of representatives from our previous parishes.
Please pray for our pastoral councils and parishioners alike as we wrap our minds and hearts around our calling: merging to become one parish. Truly, we are ready for this next step!
Another Example of Readiness and the Future Promise of Merging As an example of our readiness for merging and the benefits unity offers, please read the following article from Holy Trinity’s Worship Commission chairperson, Janet Bohne Sincerely and with Love in Christ, Fr. Pat
Imitating Christ’s Humility Therefore, if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Ph 2:1-4 As a member of the joint Crescent Parishes Worship Commission, I have experienced a common sharing of the Spirit in our Liturgy and Worship planning. Our group comes together monthly to collaborate on planning for each Liturgical Season. During the past year, we have made notable progress toward unified liturgical celebrations.
At first glance at liturgical preparations for the unity of Beacons of Light, Crescent Parishioners may focus only on the Worship losses: potential deletion of our preferred Sunday mass location or time; the need to travel to another location for a holiday mass (e.g. Thanksgiving); and changes to our traditional Easter Triduum and Christmas Mass schedules. But a closer look reveals the benefits that come with these changes. When we attend mass at one of the other churches in our Crescent family, we can meet other “family members” and experience music, art and environment that broaden our horizons. And the surprise to many is that we don’t feel like a visitor to this other church, because we see parishioners and a priest from our “home” church who are also there!
The collaboration among the Worship Commission Leadership has provided even more opportunities to enrich our Liturgies. This Advent, Crescent Parishes adopted a long-standing practice from the Church of the Resurrection of including a prayer and explanation of the meaning of the candles during the Advent Wreath Lighting. In February, we will jointly celebrate two events that might be new to some of our parishes: National Day of Prayer for the African American and African Family (2/2) and World Marriage Day (2/9). Planning has already begun to build on our Easter Triduum practice from the past two years: a single, joint celebration on Holy Thursday and Easter Vigil, with choir members, lectors, and Eucharistic ministers from each parish participating. Those who attended one of the joint liturgies in the past can agree that the Spirit was felt more strongly with the church pews full!
The path set forth in Beacons of Light is toward respecting and joining the unique cultures of all our member parishes, “having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.” We can create a diverse community in which everyone, from the greatest to the least, can feel they have a place. If we put aside our own interests and look to the needs of others, we will have a bright future for our family of parishes.